Baby lift



y 963 I. GUDIKSEN 3,096,917

BABY LIFT Filed April 21. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. INGV/JRD GUDIK5N ATTORNEY I. GUDIKSEN July 9, 1963 BABY LIFT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 21. 1961 INVENTOR. ING WWO G (/D/KSE N ATTORNEK United States Patent 3,096,917 BABY LIFT Ingvard Gudiksen, Glostmp, Copenhagen, Denmark, assignor to Thomas J. Mulroy, Bellel'ose, N.Y. Filed Apr. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 104,597 1 Claim. (Cl. 2246) This invention relates to baby beds, and is especially concerned with a unique construction of portable baby bed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a highly portable baby bed which is extremely versatile in use, being ideally suited for use at any desired location around the home, highly advantageous in travel with a baby, both in private and public transportation, and which is quickly and easily converted between its setu condition of use and a collapsed condition occupying a minimum of space, as for economy in storage and shipping.

It is a particular object of the present invention to provide a portable baby bed embodying a unique, collapsible structure, which is staunch and rugged in its setup condition of use, and may be very easily converted to its collapsed condition without the need for tools, special instructions, or unusual skill.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a portable baby bed device having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraphs which is extremely simple in construction, durable and entirely reliable throughout a long useful life, and which can be economically manufactured for sale at a reasonable price.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claim.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view showing a portable baby bed constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, the device being illustrated in its collapsed condition.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view showing the device of FIG. 1 in a setup or operative condition, and illustrating an alternate position of the top cover in phantom.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional elevational view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

extending flexible sheets 16 and 17, respectively, the former being inward of the frame 11 and the latter being outward of the frame. The inner and outer skirt sheets 16 and 17 may have their upper edges secured together along the entire upper edge of the frame 11, as by a securing bead 18.

A generally rectangular, horizontal bottom board or plate 211 is arranged in spaced relation beneath the frame 11, substantially congruent therewith, and extends entirely across and between the lower edge regions of the skirt 15. More specifically, the lower edge regions 21 and 22 of the inner and outer skirt sheets 16 and 17 may be turned horizontally inward about the entire peripheral extent and secured fast to the underside of the margin of bottom board 20, as by suitable fasteners 23. In addition, a nether or bottom covering sheet 24 may be secured across the underside of bottom board 20 overlying the inturned lower edge portions 21 and 22 of the skirt sheets, and secured to the latter by the fasteners 23 or other suitable securing means.

lnteriorly of the skirt 15 are located a pair of braces or struts 25, each adjacent to and spaced inward from a respective end piece 13 of the frame 11. More specifically, each brace 25 may also be formed of bar stock and bent into a generally U-shaped configuration having a lower or bight region 26, and a pair of generally parallel upstanding legs 27. The braces 25 are each arranged, as seen in solid lines in FIGS. 3-5, laterally within the skirt 15, having its lower or bight region 26 seated with its undersurface in facing engagement with the upper surface of the bottom board 20, and the legs 27 upstanding FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevational view taken a substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional elevational view taken substantially along the line 55 of FIG. 4, on an enlarged scale for clarity of understanding.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the baby bed of the present invention is there generally designated 10. In FIGS. 3 and 4, it may be seen that the bed 10 includes a generally horizontal open frame 11 of an elongate, generally rectangular configuration. In particular, the frame 11 may be formed of bar stock bent to define a pair of parallel spaced longitudinally extending side pieces 12, and end pieces 13 extending in substantial parallelism with each other between the ends of the side pieces and substantially normal thereto. The side and end pieces 12 and 13 of the frame 11 preferably have their major cross-sectional dimension in generally vertical planes.

A flexible peripheral wall or skirt, generally designatcd 15, extends entirely about the elongate horizontal frame 11, depending generally vertically therefrom. The skirt 15 may be formed of inner and outer peripherally along laterally opposite regions of the skirt 15. The upper distal ends of the legs 27 of each brace 25 terminate adjacent to and inward of laterally opposite portions of the side frame pieces 12; and, aligned pivotal fasteners 28 extend through each leg 27 and the adjacent portion of frame side piece 12. Thus, each brace 25 is mounted for pivotal or swinging movement between its generally vertical position depending from the frame 11 into a generally horizontal position substantially coplanar with the frame. As indicated by the arrows 29, the braces 25 are swingable longitudinally inward of the baby bed, upward and toward each other to their collapsed conditions. In order to limit the braces 27 to the solidline, generally vertical depending positions upon setting up, there may be provided abut-ments or stops 30 fixedly secured to the side frame pieces 12, interiorly of the inner skirted sheets 16, and longitudinally outward of the ad jacent brace 25 for limiting engagement therewith.

As the braces 25 are advantageously fabricated of bar stock, it is apparent that the bight region 26 of each brace may include lower and upper, parallel, generally horizontal faces 32 and 33 when the brace is in its generally vertical setup condition. The lower face 32 of each brace seats in firm facing engagement with the upper surface of bottom board 21) to retain the frame 11 in properly spaced relation about the bottom board, and said facing engagement effectively deters inadvertent upward swinging movement of the brace, so that positive, deliberate action by an adult operator is required to effect collapse. Further, a substantially flat mattress or pad 34, substantially congruent with the bottom board 20, seats firmly on the upper horizontal faces 33 of the lower brace portions 26 to further restrain the braces against upward swinging movement. Of course, the mattress or pad 34 may sag somewhat and conformably engage with the lower brace regions 26 and further prevent upward swinging movement of the braces 25.

Extending laterally across the upper region of the skirt 15, above the frame 11, is a flexible cover 36. In particular, the cover 35 may be secured to the upper edges of the skirt 15, along the securing bead 18, and extends from one end piece 13 of the frame 11, the right-hand end piece as shown in the drawings, toward, and terminates at a lateral edge 35 spaced from the left-hand frame end piece. Thus, the cover 36 leaves one portion of the baby bed upwardly open, as for visual access to the babys head. The cover 36 may be formed of any suitable flexible sheet material, and is advantageously provided with a pair of laterally spaced, longitudinally extending separable or slide fasteners 37, see FIGS. 1 and 2. The separable fasteners 37 may extend from the terminating edge 35 adjacent to and along respective frame side pieces 12, toward and substantially to the right-hand frame end piece 13. This enables the medial portion 38 of cover 36, between the fasteners 37, to be separated from the remaining side portions of the cover and swung rightward over the end of the baby bed, as shown in phantom in FIG. 2.

If desired, a collar 40 of flexible sheet material may be secured to the upper edge regions of skirt 15, as along the leftward frame end piece 13 and the adjacent portions of the side frame end pieces 12. Further, a hood 411 may up-stand from the leftward upper region of the boby bed, substantially over the opening or unclosed region between the cover 36 and leftward end of the body bed. The hood 41 may be detachably secured along the upper adjacent regions of skirt 15, outward of the collar 4t as by any suitable separable fastening means, such as a slide fastener 42.

To afford convenient portability, a pair of flexible carrying straps 44 are each operatively connected to the bottom board 20, as by passing therebeneath, and extend upward beyond the frame 11 for manual grasping. If desired, the straps 44 may be formed as a single elongate strap having a pair of lower portions 45 extending transversely across and beneath the bottom board 4t) at locations adjacent to and longitudinally inward of the brace 25 in the upstanding condition of the latter. The lower strap portions 45 may extend between the bottom board 20 and lower covering sheet 24, and may be secured in position therebetween. On each side of the skirt 15, the straps 44 extend upward exteriorly of the skirt to define a holding loop 46, which loops may be simultaneously grasped by a single hand. Viewed otherwise, the holding loops 46 each extend downward, exteriorly along longisired, the mattress or pad 34 may be removed for the collapsing operation.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a portable baby bed which fully accomplishes its intended objects and is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A portable collapsible baby bed comprising an elongate generally horizontal open frame having spaced side pieces and end pieces extending between said side pieces, a skirt of flexible sheet material extending peripherally about and depending from said frame, a generally horizontal bottom board extending across the lower region of said skirt, the lower edge region of said skirt extending with its bight region engaging said bottom board to space the latter from said frame, said braces being swingable upward and inward toward each other to substantial coplanarity with said frame for collapse of said frame toward said bottom board, and a pad on said board and a the bight regions of said braces to maintain said braces from swinging movement out of their depending position, a pair of flexible carrier straps eachoperatively connected to the bottom of said board at a location adjacent to and longitudinally inward of a respective brace and extending upward from opposite sides of said frame over and across tudinally spaced regions of the skirt 15, being there secured by fastening means 47, and extend thence to the nether transverse regions 45. The location of the nether strap regions longitudinally inward of the lower brace regions 26 when the latter are in erected condition, furthere insures that the bed will retain its erected condition said frame, each of said straps extending completely across the underside of said board to establish operative connection therewith, a cover extending laterally across said frame from one end piece thereof toward and terminating short of the other frame end piece, and separable fastener means in said cover extending longitudinally along each side piece of said frame substantially coextensive with said cover, for separating said cover from said frame side pieces and permitting swinging movement of said cover over said one frame end pieces, and stop means fixed to said frame for engagement with said braces to limit downward movement of the latter to a generally vertical depending position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,371,751 F-uller Mar. 15, 1921 2,551,509 Smith May 1, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 602,275 Great Britain May 24, 1948 

